I said to a writer friend
recently “shapeshifters are my jam!” I
love paranormal romances. Can’t get enough of them. Gobble them up like peanut
M&Ms, which are also my jam. I knew
that whenever I got serious about not talking about being a writer anymore but
actually taking steps to BE a writer that, of course, that book would be a
paranormal romance.
I was lucky to not start from
ground zero. I had a writing background (and no, I’m not counting the girl and
her horse “book” I wrote as a horse-crazy kid, which was, as best I can recall,
awesome). I studied
communications/journalism in college, got a job writing for a local newspaper –
where I paid my damn dues in full by covering township meetings and city
council projects – and branched out later into writing feature articles and
interviews for bigger publications.
When I finally took that step to
write a book, the do or die step, the sink or swim step, the nut up or shut up
step, I figured the book would take maybe five or six months because I already
knew how write, right? Oh that woman I was then was so naïve, so misguided.
Instead I plunged into 15 months of writing then another six months in revision
hell. Some of that time was easy, most
of it wasn’t. At the end, though, when I poked my head out of my writing
hidey-hole blinking at the sun I had two completed books of the Wolf King
series which were soon picked up by Red Moon Romance.
My first book (and omg I STILL
love saying that and don’t think I don’t stare at that gorgeous purple cover 56
times a day) was released into the world last month. SKYE FALLING is a paranormal romance novella,
book 2 in my Wolf King series (Book 1, OMEGA RISING, will be out early 2016, I
know it’s weird but for this series it works so just go with it). The story
follows Skye, an impulsive fae halfling princess, who slips into the human
realm with a resolute goal and half-assed plan to find the rumored Wolf King.
Lake, a smoking hot wolf shapeshifter, is unwillingly charged with capturing the
petulant princess but this easy-peasy job goes quickly awry.
As the reviews and ratings came
in I could relax my death grip on everything around me and pour myself a scotch
to celebrate because that’s what grownups do. And then I danced in the street
because that’s what tipsy grownups do. The response to SKYE FALLING has been wonderful.
A few days ago it landed the AllRomance
ebook (ARe) bestseller list. From the
comments, readers seem to be connecting with Skye’s sass and determination and
Lake’s struggles to rein in the whirlwind that is Princess Skye. That is
amazing and overwhelming to me as well as a hundred other emotions; joy,
excitement, even a bit of alarm; like what if the next book doesn’t meet their
expectations? But that’s a freak-out for another day. Today, I am happy.
I truly loved writing the journey
of Lake and Skye. I hope your readers love reading it.
EXCERPT FROM SKYE FALLING
Sand whipped into the air. A whirling vortex sprang up and
halted the shifter’s forward progress and then lifted him four feet above the
beach. Stunned by what she’d created, Skye dropped her hand and the wolf landed
on the beach with a thump. Sand coated every inch of his body, but before he
could act on his growl’s implied threat, Skye hurriedly lifted him back into a
new sand tornado.
She’d practiced her power regularly, in secret as advised by
her father, but had never been able to marshal this kind of force before. Skye
could snuff out lanterns and blow papers off her father’s desk but not much
more. The wolf’s surprise had turned to anger in his second ride. His eyes were
narrowed against the stinging sand, but Skye could see their golden glow. The
enormity of what she was about to do hit her.
She could stop it now and be returned to her father or, the
lesser possibility, the torture of the Dark Fae. Both meant death.
Or.
That small word meant life. Not a tough decision. He
strained to get to her and shouted, but the roar of the wind whipped his voice
away. She summoned a life jacket onto his torso, followed by a pair of orange
water wings around his arms. He glanced down and roared helplessly as he
comprehended what she planned. He pointed a finger at her, then pointed down.
Yeah, like she’d do that. Stupid wolf.
“It’s not personal, wolf,” she said, pleased her voice was
calm. Skye raised her shaking hands. With a flick of her wrist she flung him
out into the deep lake, far enough that she’d have a chance to escape but not
so far he would succumb to hypothermia. She winced as he bounced across the
lake’s surface like a skipping stone. Once. Twice. Three times before she could
see him bobbing in the waves. It was done. No going back now.
She hoped he could swim and wished for a moment she had sent
a raft with him. Skye took off toward Union Station in the pre-dawn shadows,
ignoring the enraged wolf’s cursing dwindling in the distance. Her fingers wove
as she ran and her soggy dress changed to her standard gray tunic and leggings
and boots. Fear gave her an added boost of speed as she zigzagged through the
city just starting to wake up. The first train out was at 6:00 a.m., only an
hour away.
BACK COVER COPY FOR SKYE FALLING:
Skye, a Fae-shapeshifter
halfing, could die if she doesn’t find out how to wake her dormant wolf, so mere rumors of the Wolf King’s
return are enough to convince her to sneak through the portal between Faerie
and Chicago in search of his aid. But the dizzyingly bright lights and sounds
of the human realm are too tempting to ignore. So is the sexy shapeshifter wolf
intent on capturing her—the one who stirs her sleeping wolf just long enough to
bind the handsome stranger in a mate-bond.
Lake is willing to do anything to protect the Wolf King, a man he also calls friend. So when he receives word that a Fae princess has slipped into Chicago, he suspects a plot to assassinate the Wolf King. He’s certain capturing her will be as easy as locating her—that was his first mistake. Not only is his wolf a little too interested in Skye, but the wolf accepts her mate-bond without any say-so from him. As he unravels the truth surrounding the smart-mouthed princess and whether she’s hunting his friend or being hunted by someone else, Lake’s mission changes: protect Skye at all costs. And keep her for himself.
Lake is willing to do anything to protect the Wolf King, a man he also calls friend. So when he receives word that a Fae princess has slipped into Chicago, he suspects a plot to assassinate the Wolf King. He’s certain capturing her will be as easy as locating her—that was his first mistake. Not only is his wolf a little too interested in Skye, but the wolf accepts her mate-bond without any say-so from him. As he unravels the truth surrounding the smart-mouthed princess and whether she’s hunting his friend or being hunted by someone else, Lake’s mission changes: protect Skye at all costs. And keep her for himself.
BIO:
Anna wrote her first story at age
12 on her dad’s old manual typewriter and though the technology has changed,
she hasn’t stopped since. She lives in
the Midwest surrounded by family and friends and dogs and horses. They’ve forgiven her (mostly) when they
appear in her stories. She reads
everything she can get her hands on but romances, especially paranormals, are
her favorite. Vampires, humans, Fae, shapeshifters, or demons, it doesn’t
matter - Anna’s heart goes pitter-pat for the Happily Ever After. Hot heroes + strong, funny heroines =
Awesome. Also a proud RWA member.
DESCRIPTION OF THE WOLF KING
SERIES:
Whispers of the Wolf King’s
return after a thousand years absence foretell the resurrection of an ancient
evil and stir up hidden enemies. The shapeshifters, magic-users, Omegas (the
shifter/mage hybrids), and the Fae must turn their blades, fangs, and claws
away from each other and work together to defeat a growing horde that threatens
the extinction of them all. The key to
the Others’ future is connected to the past but they’re so busy fighting each
other they may not see it in time.
Twitter: Anna Kyle@SandsOfTime5050
Blog: meandersandmuses.blogspot.com
Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~
No comments:
Post a Comment